pertenece
/peɾteneθe/from spelling rules
The Spanish word for 'belongs' is pertenece.
The verb pertenecer is used to express that someone or something is the property of another person or group. When you want to indicate who the owner is, you must almost always follow the verb with the preposition a.
How does it change in a sentence?
pertenece is the third-person singular present indicative form of the verb pertenecer. If you wish to say 'I belong' in the first-person singular present indicative, you use the form pertenezco.
How do you pronounce it?
/peɾteneθe/
What mistakes should you avoid?
Avoid saying pertenece de to mean 'belongs of'. English speakers often make this error by using the preposition de instead of the correct preposition a.
Did you know?
- Unlike English, where 'belong' can be used in the phrase 'where this belongs' to mean 'the correct place for this', Spanish uses ir or estar to express that an object belongs in a certain spot.
- Using pertenecer to describe a person belonging to another person is often reserved for very dramatic, poetic, or romantic contexts, as it can sound overly possessive in daily speech.
- In Spanish, the verb pertenecer is frequently used to express membership in a group or organization, not just physical ownership. For example, you would use it to say you 'belong' to a club or a political party.
Examples in context
- Tu alma me pertenece.Your soul belongs to me.This sentence demonstrates the use of pertenece to show ownership of a soul.Tatoeba #1624718 by marcelostockle, translation #1624924 by marcelostockle
- Esa casa te pertenece.That house belongs to you.This sentence uses pertenece to indicate that a house belongs to someone.Tatoeba #13471691 by Seael, translation #1821488 by Amastan
- Ese cofre me pertenece.That chest belongs to me.This sentence uses pertenece to express that a chest is the property of someone.Tatoeba #9057290 by rafaeldejesus8199, translation #9057293 by rafaeldejesus8199
- Este libro pertenece a la biblioteca.This book belongs to the library.
- Esta hermosa casa es de mi abuelo.This beautiful house belongs to my grandfather.
- Ella forma parte de nuestro equipo.She belongs to our team.
- Este balón pertenece a Pedro.This ball belongs to Pedro.
- 79 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Sofía and Daniel are looking at a lost item in a park.
- SofíaEste paraguas no me pertenece.This umbrella does not belong to me.
- Daniel¿A quién pertenece entonces?To whom does it belong then?
- SofíaParece que le pertenece a esa señora.It looks like it belongs to that lady.
- DanielTienes razón, iré a preguntarle.You're right, I will go ask her.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
